Remarks by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) and United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon

Remarks by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) and United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon

Subject: Climate Change

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REP. PELOSI: Good morning.

It's a special occasion, indeed, to welcome the secretary-general of the United Nations to the Capitol of the United States once again. The secretary-general is a visionary. He's a man of peace, and he has been a leader in calling attention to the global climate crisis.

In our first meeting over two years ago, when I first became -- when we were both new in our jobs, we -- you came here and told me how urgent the issue was, that national governments must take the lead in fighting climate change, and industrialized nations have an important, crucial role in doing so.

We are -- I'm pleased to say that now we are moving in that direction. Just as we speak today, an important committee of the Congress will be working on legislation to combat climate change, reduce our dependence on foreign oil, make our air cleaner for our children, honor our moral responsibility to preserve God's beautiful planet.

The secretary-general and I have something in common today. When we leave here, he is going to be speaking at SAIS, a Johns Hopkins graduate school over here, and I will be going over to Baltimore to be speaking to the undergraduates graduating from Johns Hopkins today. So it is wonderful to be on a similar program, however geographically separated, with such a distinguished world leader.

The -- again, the secretary-general has been a leader, a visionary, a person of peace highly regarded throughout the world, and certainly respected in the Congress of the United States. And it's my privilege to welcome him here today.

Mr. Secretary-General?

SEC.-GEN. BAN: Thank you, Madame Speaker, for such a warm welcome and compliments for what I have been doing. It's a great pleasure and honor for me to meet you again. I remember we had a very good meeting soon after you became the speaker of this Congress.

And I have been working very closely as secretary-general, particularly with the United States. I regard the strong partnership between the United States and United Nations as crucially important in promoting world peace and security development and human rights.

In that regard, I highly commend and respect for -- what Speaker Nancy Pelosi has been leading -- great leadership in those areas. I'm here to continue our discussions with the speaker on many issues, how we can further strengthen and enhance such a(n) already-strong partnership.

I'm here to speak, discuss with you and ask for your leadership in sealing a deal in Copenhagen December of this year for climate change. I know that you are already in the process of taking national legislation.

I'm here to speak about the peace and stability in many areas. You have shown such a great concern and interest and support for peace in Darfur. I'm also willing to discuss about the situation in Sri Lanka. The United States' involvement and leadership in Afghanistan and Pakistan have also been of great important (sic).

United Nations is taking and working very closely with the United States in those processes. The congressional support is vitally important. That's why I am here. I am soliciting your, again, commitment in providing necessary financial support for peacekeeping operations, and also for many developing countries, most are all over, and for the people who really need our support and assistance. That, the United States can provide the important contribution through your congressional leadership.

Again, thank you very much, Madame Speaker, for such great leadership for you.

SPEAKER PELOSI: Thank you. Thank you.

SEC.-GEN. BAN: And I am very much pleased to work with you. Thank you.

SPEAKER PELOSI: Thank you. Look forward to our conversation.

Thank you all.

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